Accurate and timely temperature information is needed in a host of applications in modern industrial society. For instance, temperature monitoring is required in controlling processes, maintaining controlled environments (e.g., temp-cycle test equipment, air conditioning), monitoring equipment, and monitoring exposure. Moreover, automatic (electronic) systems (e.g., process control systems) typically require all electronic temperature measurement systems and the data provided by electronic temperature measurement system to be in a digital format, so that microcontrollers and microprocessors often used in those applications can readily accept and process the temperature information.
Existing temperature measurement devices often combine circuitry with discrete temperature sensitive items (e.g., thermistors), which are inherently analog devices and provide an analog output. An analog-to-digital converter is then needed to convert the analog output to a digital format. Alternative existing temperature measurement devices do not provide an accurate, reliable reading (if any) over a large temperature range. All of these characteristics associated with existing temperature measurement devices may adversely affect the overall efficiency and accuracy of the system as well as the degree and ease with which the resulting system can be combined into a small, miniaturized circuit (e.g., integrated).
Problems encountered with addressing these shortcomings are numerous. In particular, modern temperature measurement devices do not address or accommodate for the sensitivities of many electrical/electronic components and subcomponents (e.g., oscillators, power supplies, etc.) to temperature and/or changes in temperature. In addition, modern temperature measurement devices do not provide high degrees of resolution and/or adjustable degrees of resolution. Similarly, modern temperature measurement devices that produce a digital output do not provide temperatures having increased accuracy, resolution, etc. over a wide range of temperatures.